Conduit-wire-fishing reel.



G. FUSSELL.

CONDUIT WIRE FISHING REEL.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

1,096,61 8. Patented May 12, 1914.

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OONDUIT WIRE FISHING REEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

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lNl/EN TOR A TTORNEV G. FUSSELL. OONDUIT WIRE FISHING REEL.

APPLIOATION IILED JAN. 2, 1912.

1,096,618. Patented May12,1914.

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WITNESSES: //v m r01;

A TTOR/VE) COLUMBIA PLANCIGRAPH co ,WASHINDTON D C G. FUSSELL.

GONDUIT WIRE FISHING REEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

1,096,618. Patented May12,191L

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G. FUSSELL.

GONDUIT WIRE FISHING REEL.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912. 1,096,618. PatentedMay 12, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

gm z A TTOR/VE Y COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH ca, WASHINGTON. I) c.

TTNTTTQD STATES PATENT UFFMJF.

GEORGE FUSSELIJ, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM C. SCHMIT'I', 0F

PORTLAND, OREGON.

GONDUIT-WIRE-FISHING REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 2, 1912. Serial No. 669,145.

tion.

My invention relates to conduit fishing devices, used for running an electric wire through conduits. As well known, the purpose of such devices is to facilitate the running of an electric wire through a conduit, by first driving a so called fishing wire through the conduit and then drawing the electric cable or wire through the conduit by the return movement of the fishing wire.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient device for the purpose mentioned.

My further object is to provide a device of suflicient strength to withstand the necessary strain, at the same time to keep down its weight so as to render the device portable and readily moved from place to place.

My further object is to adapt my device to be readily moved on its own supporting base for short distances.

My invention also embodies certain novel features which are hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of my reel, which is shown mounted on an adjustable carriage so as to make it convenient for moving the reel short distances on its own base; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the right side of my machine, with regard to Fig. 1, the view being partly in longi* tudinal section; the fishing Wire also appears in this view, but is drawn on a relatively exaggerated scale, so as to be seen more clearly, Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation, illustrating supplementary means for facilitating the operation of my device when under heavy strain, by reason of pulling a long wire through a conduit or because of other difiiculties; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic fragmenta-l View of details of said supplementarymeansf Fig. 5 is a fragmental section online m w of Fig. 2, looking in the direction pointed by the arrow, parts ofthe drum of the reel being broken away; Fig. 6 is a detail of convenient clamping means provided by me for connecting the feed-pipe of my reel to the conduit; this view also Patented May is, 1914..

showing, in dot-and-dash lines, a tension wire provided by me within said feed-pipe for restraining the feed-pipe against undue longitudinal expansion; and Figs. 7 and 8 are details illustrating the action of the tension wires, which action is also to be observed from Fig. 5.

My reel consists of a truck-frame, r, rotatably supporting a drum, a, made with a peripheral spiral groove, said drum being rigidly mounted on a shaft Z2, so as to rotate therewith, and said shaft being journaled in frame-sides, c, 0-, supported on the truck-frame r. The extremities of the shaft 6 are adapted to have a crank-handle afiixed thereon. The drum is conveniently made of two drum-heads and a cylindrical shell, the latter being made with a peripheral spiral groove, as mentioned. The drum-head a is provided with internal gear teeth a adapted to be thrown into mesh with a pinion m, (see Figs. 3, 4t and 5) journaled in an adjustable eccentric bearing n, adapted to be arranged to throw the pinion m into and out of mesh. The pinion m is rotated by placing the crank-handle cl 011 the squared projecting end of the stud-pin m, and the power is applied to rotate the pinion m instead of the shaft 1), when it is convenient to increase the efiiciency of the power applied at expense of speed, in order to overcome any abnormal resistance of the electric wire in being drawn through a long conduit. In Fig. 5 the hatched broken portions at. n illustrate anti-friction bearings.

The eccentric bearing, a, is rotatably journaled in the web 0 of the frame side 0, and is provided with a set-screw n for looking it in the position to which adjusted. The

inoperative position of the eccentric bearing on is shown by the dotted outline m in Fig. 4:. The eccentric bearing is provided for the pinion m so as to be able to throw the latter out of mesh when not to be used, and in so doing eliminating avoidable strain due to the meshing of said pinion with the internal gear-teeth a when the power is directly applied to the shaft a.

The frame-sides, c, c, are held spaced apart by a plurality of circumferentially distributed longitudinal spacing bars. 6, against the bifurcated ends 6 of which the frame sides are rigidly bolted. See Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Each member of such bifurcated ends a is formed with a lug 6 (see Fig. 2)

provided for limiting the longitudinal movement of the rings is, 70 located interior of the frame sides o, c.

The wire, to, is wound on the drum, a, and one end made fast to the latter, the other end w is led from the drum through a cored out traveling throat-block g and a flexible feed-tube h, affixed to such throat-block, as shown in Fig. Said throat-block is slidably mounted on the rod 5, and its movement is accomplished by the rotation of the wornrscrew j, with which a member of the throat-block is engaged. Said worm-screw j is journaled in the frame-sides and is driven from the shaft 5 by sprocket pinions, 0 and s, and a sprocket chain 2) (shown only in Fig. 2), the devices being arranged to cause the travel of the throat-block at such speed as to place it constantly opposite the point at which the wire 10 is being coiled on or off the drum a. The rod, 2", is made of sufficient strength to prevent any strain from being thrown on the worm-screw The rotation of the drum, (4, forces the wire-end 10 through the throat block 9 and thence through the flexible feed-tube it into the conduit '1) and through the latter to its exit. The peripheral threads in the surface of the drum, (1, prevent longitudinal movement of the wire coils or loops wound on the drum.

To prevent the unwinding of the coils of the wire to from the drum a, by reflex ex pansion, I provide a series of retaining rollers 7, bearing on the coils of wire seated in the peripheral groove of the drum. Said rollers f are prevented from being laterally displaced by having their ends projecting into the recessed inner sides of the bosses, Z, formed on the circumferential rim 0 of the frame-sides 0, 0 and the ends of said retaining rollers f thrust against one or more balls placed in such recess. But the entire strain of holding the rollers on the coils of wire wound on the drum is borne by the rings 70, 7a, which are placed and revolve on the extremities of said retaining rollers The rings 70, 7a are held against longitudinal displacement by the lugs e on the spacing bars 6, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, to which reference was already had above. In setting up this machine, the rings 10, k are put in place on the retaining rollers f before the two framesides 0, c are bolted on the extremities of the spacing bars. In action the rotation of the drum, a, causes the rollers f to rotate within the rings is, k, and the latter are caused to move on the rollers The rollers and rings really act as roller bearings for each other. It will now be noted that the respective wire coils on the drum practically lie each in a sort of individual guide channel formed by the position of the parts described.

The flexible tube or guiding member h for the wire end 20 is preferably made of heavy spirally coiled wire which possesses marked advantages over the ordinary flexible hose, commonly used for such purpose; for it offers less resistance to the passage of the fishing wire through it, since it will never form a kink or sharp angle.

In operating with my device, the outer end of the feed tube 7b is conveniently connected with the inlet end of the conduit by means of a clamp consisting of a yoke bar it, provided at its extremities with knuckles a a See Fig. 6. A nipple 'u is threaded into the knuckle a and into the collar h, rigidly attached to the feed tube 71-. Various forms of guiding tube, y, may be fastened in the knuckle a by inserting the wedge a that shown in Fig. (5 being adapted to fit awall box 1;, in which the conduit, 21, usually enters at the top and bottom, but, whenever practical, the conduit may be fastened directly into the knuckle n However, the particular means employed for connecting the feed tube or member 71 with the conduit is, of course, immaterial.

A tension wire 10 is introduced in the feed tube, limiting the endwise expansion of the latter, said tension wire being inoperative during the pulling operation, as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 6. In the latter figure the fishing wire to, shown in dotted lines, is being drawn in the direc tion indicated by the arrow, pulling the electric cable of wire through the conduit. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the position assumed by the tension wire 20 during the driving operation of my device, in which the fishing wire Q0 is thrust through the conduit, and would follow the outside of the curves in the feed tube It, tending to expand the latter. The tension wire 10 is thus drawn to the inner side of the curves, limiting said expansion of the feed tube.

The wire end w comprises a ball-andeyelet 10 to which the electric cable or wire is to be attached, and which serves to guide the wire end 10 over irregularities and around bends in the conduit 01.

The supporting frame of my device is preferably made collapsible, so that it can be used as a truck for transporting my reel from place to place. This frame consists of the parallel front legs 1", r, horizontal member 7 and the rear legs 1*, r See Fig. 1. The front legs, 1*, r, support the foremost portion of my device, being pintled on the tie rod a the cross-bracing r and the tierod 7 between these front legs, providing a rigid construction. In the lower foremost portions of the front legs, 1 r, is j ournaled the axle 1", bearing the wheels 1". The rear legs 1 support the rear portion of my device, being connected to the latter by a removable tie-rod r, and they are braced across by the cross-bracing r and tie-rod r. Said rear legs are pivotally connected to the horizontal legs 9", of the angular front legs r, by the tie rod r, the horizontal legs being spaced apart by the crossbracing r. The rear legs 7 are provided with an extension leg r, as shown in Fig. 1, and the horizontal legs r contain the bosses rm. l Vhen it is desired to move the device some distance, the tie-rod 1* is re moved and the rear legs r are rotated about the tie rod 1 When the lower portionsr of such legs have assumed positions adjacent to the bosses r the tie rod r is inserted between these parts thereby holding them firmly in position. The rear legs will then have assumed the position shown by the dotted lines r of Fig. 1. The frame sides, 0, and the parts contained between them, may then be rotated about the tie-rod 0*, till they rest in the angular supports made by the front legs r and the horizontalmembers r, as shown by the dotted lines a. When the device has been adjusted in this manner, the rear legs r may be used as handles, and the truck thus formed trundled along on the wheels 1*.

I claim:

1. In a conduit wire fishing device, the combination of a frame; a drum journaled in the frame; a fishing wire wound on the drum having its inner end fastened thereto and its coils arranged side by side; a traveling guiding device through which the uncoiled end of the wire extends; means restraining said wire except its uncoiled portion from uncoiling off or moving laterally on the drum; means whereby the guiding device is caused to follow the relative movement of the uncoiled wire portion with respect to the drum; and means for guiding the uncoiled portion of the wire from said guiding device.

2. In a conduit wire fishing device, the combination of a frame; a drum journaled in the frame; a fishing wire wound on the drum having its inner end fastened thereto and its coils arranged side by side; a traveling throat-block, longitudinally movable exterior of the drum through which the uncoiled end of the wire extends; means restrainin said wire except its uncoiledportion from uncoiling off or moving laterally on the drum; means whereby the throat block is caused to follow the relative movement of the uncoiled wire portion with respect to the drum; and means for guiding the uncoiled portion of the wire from said throat block.

3. In a conduit wire fishing reel, the combination of a frame a drum journaled in the frame, a fishing wire wound on such drum; a plurality of restraining rollers rotatably supported circumferentially and longitudinally of the drum, said rollers arranged to bear on the wire coils on the drum; loose rings encompassing and revoluble on the extremity of said restraining rollers; and means for holding the rings against shifting longitudinally.

l. In a conduit wire fishing reel, the combination of a frame comprising sides, longitudinal spacing bars arranged circumferentially between the sides, said spacing bars formed at their extremities with lugs spaced from the rims of the sides; a drum journaled between the sides of the frame; a fishing wire wound on such drum; a plurality of restraining rollers rotatably supported circumferentially and longitudinally of the drum, said rollers arranged to bear on the wire coils on the drum; loose rings encompassing and revoluble on the extremity of said restraining rollers; and said rings located between the rim of the frame sides and the shoulders of the spacing bars.

. GEORGE FUSSELL.

Witnesses:

CECIL Lone, W. REIN Coor.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the! (lommhlioner of retreat,

Washington, D. G." 

